*HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE* * Research Seminar Series 2010* *Location: Room 450 Carslaw Building University of Sydney Camperdown Campus (please check our website for any changes (www.sydney.edu.au/hps)* *Date 10th May* *Time: 6pm to 8pm***
*Speaker: Ian Wills (University of Sydney)* *"Edison, Innovation and Failure"* With almost 1100 US patents, Thomas Edison stands as America's most successful inventor. Edison not only invented amazing things but used them to build new industries including electric lighting, sound recording and motion pictures. While Edison had much to say about the methods he used when inventing, most of this was written several decades after the peak of his inventive output. Drawing on the records of Edison's work contained in his laboratory notebooks, I examine some of the techniques Edison used to create successful inventions, arguing that to understand Edison's success as an innovator, we need to understand the way he dealt with failure, approaches that Edison himself seems to have only partially understood. While understanding Edison's methods is of value historically, it will be argued that they are also significant to others, like engineers, who set out to create innovative artifacts. Conclusions developed from the Edison case studies will also be used to examine more general questions including the use of trial and error, some negative implications of innovation. All are very welcome to attend. *Debbie Castle** | Administration Assistant*** *Unit for History and Philosophy of Science Faculty of Science THE **UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY Rm No.** 441 **Carslaw Building, F07 | The University of Sydney | NSW | 2006 ** **T +**61 2 9351 4226|** **F** +61 2 9351 4846 | **e [email protected] **| W ** <http://sydney.edu.au/>** http://sydney.edu.au/hps*** *Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday ** CRICOS 00026A This email plus any attachments to it are confidential. Any unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please delete it and any attachments.*** *Please think of our environment and only print this e-mail if necessary**.* * ***
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